Can-opener.



W. SCHWAB.

GAN OPENER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 7, 1910. 1,02Q,954 Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

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WILLIAM SCHWAB, OF FREMONT, OHIO, .ASSIG'NORI T JOHN R. WENTZ, 0F FREMONT,

OHIO.

SAN-OPENER.

Specification o1' Letters Patent. Patented llIzll'. 19, 1912.

Application tiled November 7, 1910. Serial No. 591,163.

To all whom t may concern ,1. Be it known that I, VILLIA Sonwan, a citizen of the United States, residing at- Fremont, in the county of Sandusky and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Can-Opener, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in can openers, and the object is toI provide adevice simple and inexpensive in construction and at the same time easy to operate and certain of execution.

Heretofore the can openers have been so constructed that only the central part of the top could bexcut out, leaving a wide border around the margin, which made it diflicult to remove the contents, and thus in case of haste a considerable part of the contents of the can would remain therein. My improvement is designed'to obviate this particular defect, inasmuch as the construction enables or permits the cutting of the top at a uui form distance close around the margin, making a complete circle and severing the disk so that it can be readily and entirely lifted out and removed, thus leaving the top edge of the receptacle smooth and free from the usually objectionable jagged edge and broad margin. Furthermore l provide a give and take pivot lever which readily allows of the handle carrying the cutter to follow around thecirculnfercnce of the can, and does not necessitate the puur/turingot the exact center of the can as is usually the casein this class of can openers, so that, even though the piercing point `in the haste of the operator is placed at a little distance from the center of the can, the 4handle will still readily follow the margin of said can, and a guide which presses against the outside of the can always holds the cutter at a fixed distance from the rim within the top of the can.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a can with my opener in con junction therewith. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the can opener complete. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the underside ot' lthe main part ot' the handle with the retailiing plate removed. Fig. L1 is a perspective Iview ot' the face plate detached from the handle, showing the vertical cutter and guide. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a modified forni of the face plate. Fig. 6

is a perspective view of the pivot lever detached from the handle. Fig. 7 is a perspective View of a sardine can showing its" application thereto. V

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Fig. fl show s the main portion of the handle A, as view'ed from the undcrsidwcast as a single piece. vertically as shown in Fig. 1, broadened at its outward end 4in outline so as to afford agood grip for the'handand atI the same time require as little material as `possible in its construction. Forwardly at C, it' is also somewhat broader and is foi-'med `with oppositely disposed openings D. i (-eiitrally on this underside is a h'mgitudinal channel E, preferably rectangular .in cross section extending from the forward end to about midway of the handle which is designed to receive the pivot lever F, as shown detached in Fig. (i and in proper position in Figs. l, and 7. This pivot lever F, is 'rectangular in cross section and has an L shaped piercing point (l, at the end ot' said har vforming a part of the set oft lland preferably formed as an integral part of the said bar.

Fig. 4 illustrates the face plate l, designed to be secured on the underside of the part. A, b v means ol" rivets n, through the openings D. This part l', is composed of ya metal piece with a knife J, formed integral therewith and upturued at right' angles thereto. Just back of this cutter or knife J, is an upturncd lug K, sety at such a distance from the Said cutter as to enable it freely to pass around the periphery ot' the can while the said cutter, pcrforating the top of the can moves along just ou the inside ot the can, the cutter J, and lug K, always being in the same position relative to each other ou the handle. fied form of this piece l, in which l substitute a round lug L, for the upturncd lug K, as shown in Fig. ft. 'lhis lug L, may be either riveted or screwed into the plate as found most convenient.

WVhen the piece l, is secured in position on the underside of the handle A, as shown in Fig. 1, by means ol. rivets @,thc pivot lever or bar IV, will readily slide baclnvard and forward within the channel E. The back or inner end ol the pivot lever F, is bent slightly as at M, in Fig. 6, after being Fig. 5 shows a modiinsertedin the channel which Will prevent the said lever from being removed. from the handle.

The practical operation of opening the can consists 1n puncturing the center of the can, as nearly as possible with the piercing point G, then sliding the handle along the/ lever F, .until the guide K, presses against the rim of the can and ,the cutter just Within xthe periphery of the top, then by bearing down on the handle, the cutter will puncture the metal of the cover, and by revolving the handle around the can vthe said top will be cut out close to the vertical sides of the can. VVhile it is desirable that the piercing point G, be placed at or nearl the center of the lid, exactness Jis not essential as the pivot lever or bar F, is designed to move freely in the channel E, and the construction of the (-)ntiiefdevice is such that it Will give and take freely as the handle A, and cutter J, are moved around the can and maintained in position relative to the periphery of the can, by means of the guide lug K, on the outer side.

Fig. 7 illustrates the method adopted to open a sardine can. In this case I simply pull out the pivot lever F, far enough so that the piercing point will not interfere with the top and then by' taking a irm- .A

hold on the can with one hand, With the other the opener is forced aroundthe rim of saidcan. The lug K, acting as a guide, the opener Will move around the margin of the can, and thus cutting out the top smoothly and expeditiously.

. What I .claim as my invention is:

A can opener comprising a handle hav-- VILLIAM SCHWAB.

lVitnesses i H. C. DE HAN, J. B. Conn. 

